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We like to send our kids off in style down in San Antonio – holding ceremonies in rodeo arenas. Yesterday at the Joe and Harry Freeman Coliseum, my daughter joined six hundred-and-who-knows-how-many-others-and-mothers pushing for photo ops. Actually, being in a wrap-around arena is fun, because as each name is called out, pockets of whoops and hollers erupt, like random waves in an ocean.

After the spate of excerpts from politico/celebrity speeches, there’s not much new to say about the graduation scene of cluster cries and cheers. It is also no surprise that the summa-cums, magna-cums and other laudes have more Asian, Indian and Anglo names, while 10 of the 14 Gonzales/zes sat behind all the laudes. Also, when the principal asked those who planned to serve in the military to rise and be honored, almost all who stood were sitting in the back. This social stratification is so shockingly commonplace that nobody talks about it. It’s preferable to segregation, but sends the same message.

We know the future is tenuous, and these salmon youth will have a harder time swimming upstream, and some will never make it. Still, there is nothing quite as wonderful as witnessing the release of sheer exhiliaration and glee, as our little fish swim out, for the first time, to join the world that awaits.

1. chrys says:

   June 6, 2009 at 2:05 am

   We went to my nephew’s graduation in Gwinnett County and you are right. No big surprises. Yet I really enjoyed the speech by the valedictorian . Having immigrated from Korea to the US when he was a preteen and not speaking any English he became the top student and gave a very funny and self-deprecating speech.

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2. Dallas says:

   June 6, 2009 at 10:33 am

   Nice touch, Suz, and the social strata point well taken. And just the mention of San Antonio, the rodeo arena, etc. brings back a lot of good memories … I’m still swimming upstream.

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